Sir Keir Starmer is battling a growing rebellion over the decision to block Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing in a by-election in the city, with around 50 Labour MPs having reportedly signed a letter objecting to the decision.
They are said to have written to the prime minister to warn the decision is a “real gift” to Reform UK, as polling suggests Mr Burnham may be Labour’s “very best chance at winning” the vacant Gorton and Denton seat.
A 10-strong group from Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), including Sir Keir, voted to deny Mr Burnham permission to run in the Greater Manchester by-election at a meeting on Sunday.
Critics have accused Sir Keir and his allies of preventing Mr Burnham’s candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor as both Labour’s poll ratings and his personal approval ratings flounder.
But the prime minister has insisted that an extra election for the mayor of Manchester would “divert our resources” away from the local elections, which are already expected to be extremely bruising for Labour.
However, the signatories of the letter said there was “no legitimate reason” to block Mr Burnham, demanding Labour’s NEC “re-evaluate” the decision.
It came after Reform leader Nigel Farage said he thinks the Manchester mayor not standing in the by-election has boosted his party’s chances of winning the seat, admitting it “would have been very difficult for us to beat him.”
The Gorton and Denton by-election is expected to take place on February 26, after former MP Andrew Gwynne stood down for health reasons.
Reform UK will announce its candidate for the contest on Tuesday at a press conference in the constituency, one day after Mr Farage claimed his party’s chances are “considerably better” than before as a result of Labour’s decision.
Labour’s political rival from the left, the Green Party, is also eyeing up its chances in the race.
Jostling over the Gorton and Denton by-election comes as Sir Keir Starmer is set to begin a trip to China, removing him from the domestic political arena for several days.
On Monday, the prime minister was among the senior Labour figures trying to focus the minds of his MPs on the by-election, after he faced criticism for blocking Mr Burnham’s application to stand in the race.
Sir Keir was among the 10-strong group from Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) who voted to deny the Greater Manchester mayor permission to run at a meeting on Sunday.
The prime minister faced criticism from the left of the party and trade unions for the move, but he defended the decision and insisted the “battle of our times” was between Labour and Reform UK.
At a gathering of Labour’s backbench MPs on Monday night, Attorney General Lord Hermer – a close ally of the PM – also urged MPs not to focus on the party’s internal politics, while Labour chair Anna Turley was said to have spoken about the need to go into the election with a “positive message”.
Left-leaning Labour MPs are understood to have asked questions about the impact of not allowing Mr Burnham to stand during the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.
But senior figures within the party have reportedly conceded in private that they expect to now lose the by-election after Mr Burnham was blocked from standing.
The Times also reported that some fear Labour could be pushed into third place behind Reform and the Greens, after Sir Keir decided losing the seat was a price worth paying for retaining the Greater Manchester mayoralty.
Mr Burnham, who said he was disappointed by the move in a statement released on Sunday, has meanwhile not entirely ruled out the prospect of a return to Westminster in future, according to the Guardian.
The newspaper also said Sir Keir has offered support to Mr Burnham to run in another north-west seat in 2027, nearer to the end of his mayoralty when Labour can line up a strong replacement figure.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk
